boys will be boys. [torrence]

"Morning!" came the cheery greeting as Poesy stepped through the door of the potions workshop, the bell tinkling merrily to announce her arrival. It was a beautiful day in the Irish capital. The sun was high in a cloudless blue sky and though it was only mid-morning, she could tell that Dublin would be sun-drenched and baking hot by lunch time.

It took her eyes a few moments to acclimatise to the darkness of the rooms as she stepped in, her sunglasses perched happily on her head with her long hair twisted into a bun at the base of her neck, a coffee in her left hand. It was one of her favourites. A sugary sweet concoction of caramel and chocolate and cream with the taste of coffee barely negligible but Poesy wasn't too bothered - she wasn't a coffee snob. In fact, she thought people who drank black coffee were denying themselves a bit of fun.

Torrence was hunched over his bench, wearing the same grumpy expression she'd grown to expect. Poesy drew forward and placed her handbag on the floor, taking up her own space as she turned to look at him.

"I met your girlfriend yesterday," the petite blonde announced conversationally as she sipped her coffee and surveyed the man over the rim of her take away cup. Torrence hadn't said anything (why would he?) but Poesy loved gossip. Leaning across the bench, she lit her cauldron, cautiously poking at the kindling underneath as she peered inside, waiting for the temperature to even out before she could really do anything.

She turned, her back resting against the bench, one arm crossed over her chest and her coffee dangling from her fingers. "Short dark hair, legs up to her armpits, talks like she's from the 1800s?" Poesy offered in hopes of jogging his memory because he undoubtedly was juggling multiple women. "She seemed a bit miffed that you weren't here when she called," she began as she drank, arching her eyebrows. "She smelt nice, though."


@Torrence Regan

It was too fucking early.

But for some godforsaken reason, he had been trying to wake up a little earlier lately. He wasn't even sure why and when it had started, but he suspected it was because a certain tall, dark-haired chit who woke him up whenever he had slept over and she had to get up for work. Still, by some miracle, he had beaten Poesy into the shop and that's when he knew he was really done for. What the hell was happening to him.

Poesy's infernal morning cheeriness was even more annoying this early and he wanted to hex that stupid tinkling bell in next Sunday as she came in and bustled about. With arms braced on the workbench as he reviewed some of his notes, his dark hair falling over his forehead, he was determined to ignore her like he usually did until he was 'awake' enough around noon for actual conversation. And conversation for Torr was usually just a bunch of insults or complaints, but hey it was progress.

Except she surprised him and he felt his spine snap straight, her tone so casual. He knew she was probably looking for a reaction and his gut one was that he hated that word. "Which one?" he asked with a smirk as he turned to face her, leaning back against the bench, crossing his arms in front of him. Of course, he knew who she meant even though her description was hilarious, but accurate. "Ah, so you met Red. What'd you think?" he asked as he stepped closer, moving past her as he grabbed a few vials off the opposite counter.

Miffed? Torr almost grinned. He could just picture Perdy with that expression now. He walked past Poesy again, rounding the other side of the workbench, but not before he swiped the coffee cup deftly out of her grasp. "She does smell nice, doesn't she," he said before he sipped at her coffee, intent on stealing it for himself before he almost spit it back up and glared at her. "What the hell is this?"

Torrence's reply made her pull a face and wrinkle her nose in distaste. The man was a walking disaster area and she had no idea why he was as popular with women as he was. "Funny," she rewarded him with a roll of her eyes before she tutted darkly. Boys would be boys. Rolling up her sleeves, she fell into an easy rhythm as she began to cut up a bunch of herbs finely before looking up at him.

"Weird nickname," Poesy commented as he called the woman Red. Unless she was a natural redhead and dyed her locks a chestnut brown? Or she and Torrence were discussing different people all together. "Dunno," the blonde answered him with a shrug, unhelpfully. "She didn't say long. She did look a bit stressed out. She was pacing up and down like a caged animal," she frowned at Torrence, assuming the woman's behaviour was his fault.

As Torrence sauntered by, having no business looking so smug, Poesy added a small amount of water into her cauldron as it sizzled, sprinkling in some chopped leaves. "She didn't stay long," she offered, if he cared to hear about the interaction. "I asked if she wanted to wait but she said she had an appointment that she couldn't miss, so I'm not sure what that was all about," Poesy smiled quickly. Did she want to dip into Torrence's love life? No, absolutely not but on the other hand, she was intrigued

"I take it she didn't find you? Oi!" Poesy's eyes widened as he stole her coffee,  jaw set. "Expensive," she corrected him. Whoever she was smelled like vanilla and rose and something oriental and woody that she couldn't put her finger on. Something custom made, she assumed.

"White chocolate caramel mocha with whipped cream," Poesy answered him innocently, batting her eyelashes. "Serves you right for nicking it," she chastised Torrence as she turned her back on him rudely, a smirk on her face. If she could inconvenience him twice before midday, she'd done well. "Anyway," she announced briskly, holding her hand out for Torrence to give her cup back to her. "What did you do to her?"